A Brief Eternity
by Bolmung LK
Summary: The King discovers that Link is a purebred Hylian and wants him to marry Zelda for the sake of a better Hyrule. Link is hesitant because he lives inside the Kokiri forest where he never ages; marrying Zelda would mean he'd age to be an old man and eventually die. Vaati is hellbent on marrying Zelda and sends Shadow Link out to kidnap her. Link must take on the FD mask to save her.
1. I: Masked Hero

_A Brief Eternity_

They say the easiest things in life are those that we don't have to do ourselves. Princess Zelda had one of the easiest and most horrifying experiences of her life just recent. She didn't remember the face of her savior nor the fight that person would have had with the evil Ganondorf. It'd been quite a few weeks since that awful event. As excruciating as her kidnapping was, it lasted by a mere day long. In that one full day she'd experienced far more trauma than the rest of her life combined.

Zelda sat topless with her breasts exposed on her posh bench in front of her vanity mirror as she stared into her own dark expression. Her hyper blonde hair may have been brushed and put neatly into pearls and braids a' beauty, but her normally azure eyes were deep and stoic. Her long, golden hair twisted gently around her bare shoulders and over her pale chest. With each heave of her breath her body shifted slightly.

The smallest of frowns caressed her lips and in an instant it was gone.

She glanced to her side to see her maids quick at work gathering pink silks and golden jewels. She placed a cold and shaky hand over her heartbeat; she was scared. Yes, fear was the dominant emotion in Zelda's quivering heart. She hadn't felt this way since before she'd been rescued from her imprisonment in Ganon's castle just months ago. This fear however was not for her life, but for her kingdom. Ganondorf may be dead, or sealed in the Sacred Realm rather, but that did not mean that Hyrule was safe from invader and foe alike. She moistened her lips with her tongue and opened her mouth to speak.

"Impa." She called out lightly.

"Yes, Princess?" the older woman's reply came from across the room.

"Gondaire isn't a barbaric place, is it?" she asked and Impa froze. "I mean…" Zelda let out a nervous chuckle. "It's just that I've heard some things about their backyard…"

"Backyard?" Impa asked as she strode over to Zelda's side.

"I heard that there are whizrobes and moblins in the woods of Gondaire. Is it true?" Zelda asked pensively.

Impa let out a hearty laugh. "No, no, no! Princess, you're thinking of Sabireth Hills!" Impa moved to sit next to Zelda who took a sigh of relief. "Gondaire is a **human **kingdom. That means no moblins, no wizrobes, no octoroks and absolutely **no intelligence**." Impa smiled and Zelda laughed with her.

It was indeed a racist joke, but just a joke. Hylians and humans were known to not get along well in terms of politics. Tonight would be a game changer though. Out of the seven human kingdoms five of them would be represented at tonight's ball. Even though this new information soothed Zelda's fears for the moment, she still dreaded the safety of her kingdom. Impa stood up and retrieved a brazier from the dresser and approached the monarch from behind. She slipped it over Zelda's arms and over her breasts. She then snapped it in place around her back and straightened out the shoulder straps.

"_Oooh Princess_!" came a third woman from behind the paravent holding a large pile of pink fluff. The older woman unfolded the pink dress and held it up to show Zelda. Zelda's smile spread like melted satisfaction. She stood up in nothing but her bra, panties and stockings with unsnapped garters.

"I love it!" she exclaimed happily with a coy smile.

They put a corset onto Zelda and squeezed her into the pink and gold dress. The six 'o clock chimes went off from the Temple of Time like church bells at a wedding. They hurriedly put Zelda's sparkly gold heels on and did her exotic make up. With so many people from differing races and cultures attending the ball there was much impressing to do. After Zelda's gold make up and glitter was applied they threw on her replica Triforce necklace, tiara and other jewels; she looked like divinity at the dawn of time.

"Now just a sprits of this and you're off to meet Prince Charming!" the old maid said. Impa and Zelda rolled their eyes as Zelda was assaulted with the aroma of earthen roses and gardens of lilies.

"Miss Anos, you're excused for the evening." Zelda said and the older woman left.

Impa may have been older than Zelda, but Anos was even older by far. She'd been a maid in the castle since Zelda's father was young. Zelda, in all her pink and gold glory, did a full spin in the body length mirror and sighed deeply. Impa knew that Zelda loved balls and waltzes, but tonight was different than usual. Tonight she'd be seeing the first of her possible suitors. Zelda was eighteen now and of eligible age to wed. The King of Hyrule was getting up there in age and could pass within the next five or so years easily. So to secure the throne Zelda had a limited amount of time to find a Prince, or god forbid an old King, that would make a suitable King for Hyrule and a loving mate for Zelda.

"Relax Princess." Impa's calm, soothing voice said. "There will be at least fifty Princes and countless Kings here tonight. **You **are the prize; not them. The ball is in Hyrule for your sake."

Zelda sighed deeply repeatedly.

Hyrule was the third most powerful kingdom in the world. The first was Sabireth Hills and the second was Gondaire. There were many other kindgoms that was vast and powerful, but these three stood out the most in the world. Alile, Xzetch and Kalos were in a trilogy peace-treaty, but together combined were no match for Hyrule. Hyrule was also the oldest kingdom of them all. With its rich culture and deep grasp in history, Hyrule was destined to rule the world one day and Zelda was to be the Queen to set it on its path to glory.

Zelda was literally the world's most eligible maiden at the moment. She was in her prime for fertility and beauty, she was extremely well educated in both book and wand, she was heir to a powerful nation and most importantly she was the prophet of Hylia. Upon Zelda's conception a rumor spread, even before made public of the Queen's pregnancy, that Hylia had reincarnated herself into a mortal woman. Zelda was the last purebred Hylian in all the world. The King being a pure Hylian married one of the last pure Hylian woman left. They wished to have many offspring, but her body gave out on her just after two. All of those today who call themselves "Hylian" are not but half-breeds and hybrids. Zelda, with her ears the longest, was the last of two living purebreds left, including her father. She would have to make a sacrifice and marry the first non-pure Hylian in Hyrule's history. She was the last of her people's history standing. From here on out there would be half breeds and hybrids on the throne. All in all, Zelda was by far the most wanted woman in the world. There were other Princesses that came dangerously close to her title, but none were to outdo her.

Not tonight.

"M'lady!" a loud knocking came to her door. "M'lady, Impa!"

"Yes, I'm coming." Impa said as she walked over to the door and cracked it open slightly ajar. "Yes?"

"The King is about to start the opening ceremony. He wishes to see his daughter at once!" the guard man's eyes opened wide as he spoke.

"Very well, she's on her way." Impa said and closed the door without another word.

As she turned around Zelda was nowhere in sight. She huffed assuming the Princess had gotten nervous and jittered off somewhere to hide, but the loud shriek of surprise from the other side of the half-wall made that a moot suspicion. Impa flew over to the other side of the wall to see Zelda frightfully backing away from the open window. Impa put herself between Zelda and the window and waited a couple of seconds for a villain or monster to appear, but none did.

"What did you see Princess?" Impa asked darkly as she slowly crept towards the window with her dagger in hand.

"A masked man! He wore a white, blue and red mask!" Zelda gasped out.

"What else? What about his clothing?" Impa asked as she leaned over the window sill and looked down towards the ground to see if the man had jumped back down.

"He had a dark green cloak with gold trim and muddy boots. He was just sitting in the open window staring at me! I think he had fingerless gloves or something….and….and….he had a weapon on his back." Zelda panted as she sat down at her vanity bench and grasped her chest to steady her breathing. "He….he looked…familiar…" Zelda calmed herself.

"Familiar?" Impa turned back to Zelda, but never left the window. Zelda's brow furrowed.

"Yes, but…maybe he was from one of the story books you told me about once?" Zelda asked. "Maybe he's some villain from a book, or maybe he's cosplaying?"

"I don't recall a villain like **that **from any of the story books I read to you as a child." Impa closed the window. "I'll tell the royal guard to search the grounds, but for now you need to get to the ballroom. Everyone is waiting for you." Impa implored as she coaxed Zelda to stand up. She helped her fluff out her dress and make sure she hadn't smudged her eye make-up.

"I'm fine." Zelda sighed out and walked to the door. Impa followed suit and opened the bedroom door for her. "I don't have an escort, do I?"

"Not tonight you don't. It'd be awfully strange for a male to escort you into a room full of suitors." Impa informed her.

"Well, you're not male." Zelda smiled. Impa's brow raised; this was inappropriate to say the least. "I'm scared of the masked man, I don't want to be alone for a single moment. What if he mauls me in the hallway on the way down?" Zelda pouted fakely, but the threat could potentially be real.

"Very well then; if it is for your safety I shall break law and reason." Impa said regally as she lopped arms with her beloved Princess.

"**Now entering the ballroom is her highness, the heir of Hyrule, Princess Zelda de Hyrule!"**

As Zelda's pink and gold figure, framed by Impa of course, emerged the ballroom went silent. As soon as Impa released her hold on Zelda's arm the Princess curtseyed and clapping erupted. Many of the suitors looked at her in awe; some for the first time and some for the millionth, but all equally enthralled. She glided her way to the nearest group of people and introduced herself as her intoxicating aura reached every man in the room; married or not. A curtsey here, a kiss on her hand there and a few lies about nothing important all around and she was instantly the most conversed name in the room.

Impa kept a sharp eye out for her Princess as she drifted from Prince to dutchess in conversation. Off handedly Zelda kept count of every Prince's hand she'd touched. She was at thirty seven within the hour. She sipped gingerly on a glass or two of special champagne made from Zora waters. It was a slight blueish color with purple fizz; a fascinating taste, a nasty drunk it'd make. Luckily Zelda wasn't to drink too much and thus she wouldn't have to fear inebriation, all she had to fear was the masked man on the chandelier. She caught a quick glimpse of him and inhaled sharply.

"Princess?" a suitor asked at her sudden unusual behavior. He followed her eyes to the ceiling, but saw nothing out of place. "Something wrong?" he asked as his eyes returned to her perplexed expression.

"Oh, nothing! I just noticed that we got a brand new chandelier for the ball!" she exclaimed, quickly recovering her posture.

"Oh yes it's lovely!" the man said with a smirk. "But not half as lovely as thou." He added slyly with an old accent. She giggled delightfully, but her laughter was mostly fake. She'd heard these same clichés and repetitious white lies a thousand times, enough to make her less complimented than otherwise.

"If I were as beautiful as a chandelier I wouldn't hang myself from the ceiling." She muttered out to amuse herself. He was taken off guard by such an unsophisticated thing to say, but ignored it. She was Princess Zelda, she could do and say as she pleased. "Oh, I think that man over there is trying to get my attention. It was nice chatting with you." She said and excused herself leaving him mystified in her wake.

"Why hello there, Princess!" a Prince with blue hair and in blue and gold garb greeted her and she curtseyed. "When I waved to you I didn't expect you actually come over to me. I'm excited to say the least."

Zelda's elven ears perked up, this Prince was actually cute. He was genuinely smiling and didn't have an air of phony politeness about him.

"I don't believe we've met. Have we?" she tilted her head cutely at him.

"No, but I'm glad we have now." He smiled down at her. "When the music begins, would you mind a waltz with me?" he asked without a single essence of entitlement.

"Why certainly, you'll be the first to hold me in motion tonight." She giggled, this time for real. The look of surprise on his face turned to utter amusement. At first he'd thought she'd mean sex, but quickly realized she'd chosen her words carefully to shake him. His blue eyes looked into her own skylights for a moment in time.

"I don't believe I know your name." she stated almost dumbly as her eyes wandered from his skies to his lips.

"I'm Marth of Altea." He stated as relaxed as possible. "I'd ask you were are, but I think everyone here with a brain in their skull knows who Zelda is." He smiled to himself.

Even though Zelda returned the smile and continued the conversation, she noticed something off about him. He wasn't arrogant, he wasn't vain and he didn't use a single word of rank nor superiority. He was kind, genuine and gentle. He seemed perfect at first, but then a sudden thought burst her bubble. This thought made him entirely ineligible for marriage. A King needs to be harsh at times and allow people to worship him, this Prince Marth was entirely opposed to such things. He'd be seen as naïve and squishy in the political world. He'd be crushed in an instant by his foe.

This alone however wasn't the issue.

"Meet my boyfriend, Roy-"

"I'm so sorry, but the Prince of Death Mountain wants to speak with me!" she chirped abruptly and bounced off less than elegantly towards a massive Goron she desperately hoped was Prince Dranai. Zelda wasn't homophobic nor against a gay leader, but she couldn't allow herself to fall in love with a man who'd never marry her. He'd make a great ally however, she'd have to remember Altea for future reference.

As the night went on she'd met every single Prince there and as soon as the music started up Marth found her all over again. She kept her promise and danced with him. He was as swift as she on foot, but he lacked the manliness of a King. She sighed, he was too cute and perfect to be true. As he twirled her all around she kept seeing something she wished she wouldn't; the masked man. He was all around; on the walls, on the chandelier, in the windows and damned be it all….in the crowd.

Marth immediately noticed her fearful expression and halted their waltz, he pulled her gently away from the dance floor and promptly asked if she was alright. She nodded and lied saying she was simply dizzy and feared fainting. Marth sat her down at a posh seat and brought her a drink. She politely excused Marth for the evening and sat there in silence until Impa approached her.

"Princess?" the nursemaid asked.

"He's everywhere…" she muttered.

"The masked man?" Impa inquired.

"Yes, he's everywhere." Zelda said slowly. "Did the royal guard spot him yet?"

"No, you're the only one. Where all have you seen him besides the window?" Impa asked as she knelt before her Princess.

"The chandelier, the walls, and in the crowds. He's everywhere in an instant." She said tiresomely.

"I think you might be hallucinating." Impa frowned as she placed a hand to her forehead. "No fever."

Suddenly Zelda jerked slightly and gasped gently. Her wild eyes were opened wide and pink lips parted. Impa looked in Zelda's direction just in time to see the masked man backing away from them and back into the entangling crowd who didn't seem to notice. Impa rose to give the royal guard commands to seize the man, but Zelda stopped her.

"No, let him be." Zelda stood as well and walked towards the crowd that had engulfed him. "I want to meet him."

"Princes, please no! He could be dangerous!" Impa hissed. As per her role as nursemaid, no matter how powerful as a Sheikah she was, she had no real power to stop her.

Zelda was determined to see this masked man once again, if not to confirm her suspicions. She made her way past Prince and pauper alike as she trailed the dark green cloak with gold trim that slipped through the crowd like smoke. She eventually found herself up against the railing of the outside balcony. She loomed over and looked at the ground below, but did not see him. Just as Impa brought up the rear she spotted the masked man standing atop a roof just across the gap of the balcony and the building next to it.

The ever so slightly chilly wind wrapped itself around this man. Both Impa and Zelda looked on at this man as a crowd formed around them. Chattering rumors began as people proclaimed the man to be the spirit of Ganondorf haunting the castle or that it's a legendary Prince from a kingdom forgotten in the flow of time. Impa however knew that this was very false, all just speculation.

"You there, remove your mask at once!" Impa called out. The masked man tilted his head to the side cutely; as if he didn't quite understand the command given.

A sudden shake of the castle alerted everyone. The wind kicked up and the cloak of the masked man went wild in the sudden surge of breezes. Zelda's hair was tossed around like paper and she was forced to retreat back inside the ballroom. As everyone was ushered inside, Impa remained outside to battle this wind fiend.

"Who are you?" Impa demanded to know. "Are you here to kidnap Princess Zelda?"

The masked man shook his head 'no'.

The wind whirled violently around and the green and gold hood sagged downward to expose a portion of golden blonde hair. Impa paid no heed to it, many people were blondes. It wasn't until the wind practically ripped his hood off that Impa's red eyes felt their rage drain and her heart skip a beat. His mask remained in place, but his long ears were now exposed and his short blonde hair battled against the windy rapids.

People watching from the ballroom couldn't see what Impa had seen. He scrambled slightly to put his hood back on and hide his head from sight. Suddenly, from inside the ballroom, there was a scuffle and a tizzy. Impa turned around to look inside the ballroom for a quick moment to see what was wrong. Apparently an uninvited guest had made an entrance. When she whipped back around to get a glimpse at the masked man, he was gone. She knew she'd see the masked man again, but now the uninvited man was making a scene. She retreated back inside the ballroom and back to Zelda's side.

"Ahah!" the man burst out with a wicked chuckle. "Oh Princess! You look fabulous in pink!" the man let loose another howl of amusement. "But I think you'd look better in black and purple." He lowered the tone of his voice and composed himself. His long white hair that was pin straight and reached his waistline. He wore dark purple and red attire with the traditional golden trim; this was the golden era after all. Gold is all the rage now. He wore a strange purple hat with a gold crown attached. Zelda didn't like the look of this guy, nor his maniac cackling.

"Wh-who are you?" Zelda asked boldly.

"I am Vaati, the Emperor of the Winds." He grinned at her. "And soon I'll be Emepror of all of Hyrule!" he chided.

"Emperor?" Zelda's eyes fastened on his red ones.

"Yes, Emperor." He looked at her sarcastically. "When you and I wed I'll be Emperor of Hyrule."

"I refuse." Zelda denied him with a gruff stance.

"You can't!" he snorted. "I'm here to take you away to our wedding, _**honey**_!" he cracked his voice.

"What nonsense is that?" the King bellowed as he stood from his throne. He took a few steps down from his throne and made his way to Zelda's side. "You interrupt our ball, threaten to kidnap the Princess, declare Hyrule an Empire and now you behave like a madman with endearing terms towards my daughter?!" The King roared. He rose up his right hand with his palm flat in Vaati's direction. "Leave this place villain!" he shouted as his palm glowed golden with the magic of his ancestors.

Vaati cackled loudly as the winds of typhoons and hurricanes ripped through the castle doors and hurled the King to his ass. Vaati placed a hand on his mouth in mock surprise. Zelda screeched, horrified, and ran to her father's side. Vaati shook his head and sighed smugly, he then made his way towards the two with nothing but malicious intentions.

Marth stepped in between Vaati and the path towards Zelda defiantly. He grimaced as he knew he wasn't a worthy opponent for this nut-cracker, but he had just become friends with Princess Zelda and wasn't going to let him take her without a fight. Marth pulled out his sword and aimed it at what he assumed was a wind-mage. Vaati rolled his eyes and lolled his head around and with a gust of winds from all four directions Marth was sent hurling upwards towards the massive chandelier where he was strung up by his cloak. He wafted there as he could only watch as Vaati began making his way towards Zelda once again.

Impa leapt up and in a pouf of smoke appeared behind Vaati with her dagger. She thrust it into his back, but didn't make contact with skin, just cloth that tore. He stopped in his tracks and turned to her with a crooked, twisted grin.

"That won't work; I am the Emperor of Winds, a wind mage from the ancients. My body, soul and powers are constructed entirely of wind. Mortal blades will have no effect upon my body." He walked casually away from the baffled Impa and took a next step towards Zelda. He kicked the wind up behind him and sent Impa flying out of the main entrance.

People all around in the ballroom began to panic; every Prince drew their sword at once and charged at him. Vaati frowned at their stupidity, had they not of attacked they wouldn't have to die. They must also be deaf, for he had just told them that mortal blades have no effect on him. With one swish of his arm every last Prince was sent a whisk towards the walls in all directions. With all men down nothing stood between him and his desired prize.

"Now then…Princess Zelda…." He licked his lips deviously.

"By the light of the Goddesses…" the King began as he rose to his feet staggeringly. "I request their golden light to repel this evil…" he said as he extended his palm out once again.

Vaati's shoulder's slumped in annoyance and he scoffed. "To stone with you." He said tepidly and the King's body became encased in stone slowly starting with his outstretched hand. Just in time the royal guard rushed in and attempted to encircle the mage. With a crack of his slender wrist they all began turning to stone as well. They all struggled as their appendages began to transform and stiffen into rock.

"How redundant of you all." He sighed and took yet another step towards Zelda who was shaking as she watched her father's figure finish turning to stone. "Come Zelda." Vaati commanded and her head snapped in his direction. She took a step backwards.

"No…" she mouthed softly. She too knew the spell her father was trying to use and she extended her palm towards him. Vaati frowned harshly.

"I don't want to marry a rock, but I will if I must." He stopped his advance. "Stave your hand Princess, or you too shall share the fate of a stone ridden eternity." He warned. She refused.

"Tch!" he scowled and for a moment considered turning her to stone as he positioned his hand towards her, but then a better idea struck him. He fingers snapped and a greyish cloud enveloped her and lifted her off the ground.

"By the light of the Goddesses…" she spoke as she choked on the grey cloud.

"No, stop!" he commanded as the cloud began pouring into her open mouth.

"_By the light of the Goddesses…" _a gentle, but very masculine, voice called out.

The cloud stopped filling Zelda's body, Vaati's eyes scattered all around the room searching for the source of the voice. Vaati's eyes narrowed as he looked up at the Chandelier to see Marth still dangling helplessly, but a masked figure looming over him. Marth looked up to see this ominous figure above him. He squinted his eyes and took note of his stance and length of ears.

"No…" Vaati whispered to himself, no one else heard him. "Not you…"

Vaati took a step backwards in denial and caution.

"_I request their golden light to repel this evil…." _The masked figure continued.

"Damnit!" Vaati turned on his heel and attempted to flee, but a golden light forced the castle doors closed.

"_Begone villain!" _

With a flash of golden light Vaati was enveloped and he turned to air and fled via the balcony. As Vaati rampantly exited the castle to flee for his life all the windows shattered due to the sudden wind pressure. Luckily all the glass fell outside of the castle thus no one else got hurt. The stone that was encasing everyone then crumbled, freeing them from death. The masked man grabbed Marth by the cape that he dangled from and lowered him back to the ground with what appeared to be a grappling hook. Marth thanked him, but by the time he'd reached the ground, let go of the rope and looked back up he was gone.

"Ohhh…..my head…" the King mumbled as she hobbled and shook his fuzzy brain.

"Oh father!" Zelda cried out as she ran over to him to help steady him.

The ballroom was a mess. There was rock fragments everywhere, broken windows, crashed floors and fainted Princes, with the exception of Marth. The ball was immediately cancelled and the King was taken to his chambers to recover. Zelda was escorted by Impa to her bedroom to wash up while the guests who were injured were treated by the castle medical staff.

"**Per the King's command, all guests who attended the royal ball are permitted to stay in the castle as long as they need to recover. If you cannot make it back to your kingdom in your current condition then we will accommodate you!" **called out a crier.

"Thank goodness Hyrule has such good hospitality and manners!" exclaimed a guest as she swooped the back of her hand across her forehead.

As night fell Impa was escorting Zelda to her father's personal lounge. She wasn't sure quite why she was being summonsed, but it must have something to do with the wind mage's attack earlier at the ball. Zelda was pensive; she hadn't met a man that struck out at her at the ball as King-worthy. Then there was the matter of the masked man and Vaati. She also had to think about a possible reschedule of the ball. There were so many possibilities that the King could want to speak with her about. As they reached the door Impa bowed and Zelda entered the large double-doored room.

"I am here father, just as you have requested." She curtseyed.

"Please sit Zelda." He offered and pointed to a plush white lounge chair mere feet before him. Zelda took the offer and sat down. The double doors were closed with a creaking noise which was replaced with the serene crackling of the lit fireplace. A slurp of wine from the King's glass brought her attention to the stiffened and dark expression on his face.

"I can only imagine why you have brought me here tonight. It must be about Vaati." She said lowly.

"Well, partially, yes." He cleared his throat. "I'm more concerned with what Impa observed from the masked man."

"The masked man? What did Impa see?" Zelda pondered out loud.

"Long ago when I was young I already knew our race was dying." The King began with a strangely emotional voice. It was unlike him to display much more than stoic and stern. "I had a younger brother who passed due to a training accident when we were but young lads." A shiver went through him and Zelda saw him tremble slightly.

"Yes, I've heard the stories before." She spoke softly.

"My brother….my brother's dying words were that he wished me love and happiness, damned be the throne." He paused to take a shaky sip of his wine. "I loved my brother, but I also thought he was a fool to abandon the throne. So when I took over I demanded nothing but the finest of the finest; the best of the best; the grandest of grand. I had crowns made of gold and wine glasses made of pure diamond."

He nudged knowingly at his current choice of wine glass that sparkled extravagantly. Zelda knew about his special set of diamond wine glasses, but was never allowed to drink from them; yet.

"I was a true King." He frowned. "Or so I thought."

"Pardon?" Zelda's brow furrowed. Her father wasn't a true King?

"I was King in title, birthright and power. I however lacked a vital key component to being a **leader** though. I lacked love." He smiled tepidly. "It wasn't until the census of purebred Hylians came in that I realized our purebred race was nearly extinct. There were but three virgin maidens left and only one other man. Only one of the three virgin maidens was any sort of nobility left. I immediately offered marriage to this woman, but she rejected me. I intended to force her to wed me, but she time and time again refused me. One day I got fed up and practically kidnapped her. I was young and rash, but she was young and also rash; she slapped me."

Zelda smiled widely, she knew her mother was a firecracker.

"She told me that there was but one ravishing gem in the whole world she'd accept as an engagement present. She told me it was rough, but could be carved. It was jagged, but smooth under the surface. She described it as redder than a ruby, but brighter than the Triforce. She said it'd fit right in the palm of her hand; no bigger, no smaller." He cracked a wide grin. "I asked her to wait and I'd scour the world for this gem. She actually let me head off to Death Mountain where I met the King of Gorons, Darunia, and befriend him. After becoming 'sworn brothers' I asked him where I might find this gem that my future bride spoke of."

"It wasn't in Death Mountain, was it?" Zelda asked with ears burning to hear more. She hadn't heard this part of the story before.

"No. Darunia denied that any sort of gem existed in the mortal realm. I was actually slightly angry. Maybe Zerlina had lead me on, lied to me so she could bide her time to escape from me. I returned to Hyrule expecting to hear news that she'd fled the country. This is however not what happened. Instead… I found her sitting at the very end of the dinner table, right next to my seat. She had a smile like a whip!" his eyes opened wide as he spoke.

"Did she agree to marry you without the gem?" Zelda asked full well knowing her mother never had a ruby that large or beautiful in her collection.

"No, she got her gem alright." He chuckled whole-heartedly. Zelda looked perplexed. "I took my seat next to her at that big, lonesome table. I confided that I could not find the gem she so desired, but I'd found myself an ally, a friend. She had the nerve to laugh at me!" he huffed.

Zelda placed a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.

"She scooted her chair eerily closer to mine, placed her hand on my forearm and asked me, in her most seductive voice, if I loved her like she loved me."

Zelda's eyed widened. Surely love didn't happen just that fast! "And?!" Zelda asked enthralled.

"I froze. I choked on my words!" he stopped to take another sip of wine before looking thoughtful again. "I said… I didn't know she loved me. Regardless of how she found the will to endear me to herself I was glad. I turned to her promptly and said…no, but I'd like to." He smiled.

Zelda's expressed dropped, she looked annoyed. "That was awfully rude!" she hissed.

"Well at least it was honest. I wasn't madly in love with her, yet. I liked her lots, but I wasn't quite **in love**. I took that woman on a traditional date. She refused anything too fancy, nothing in the castle, so I reserved a whole dining hall across town just for her. We ate, conversed, shared a few personal secrets and even had a little slow dance at the end of it. It wasn't until we were gliding across the creaking wooden floors of some shanty dining hall that I realized that I wanted Zerlina to marry me even if her ears fell off."

Zelda, for a brief moment, allowed his words to process in her mind. She then remembered that when a Hylian's ears fall off, or get cut off, that they are just humans. It's a folktale, but a notable compliment nonetheless.

"I see." Zelda said awkwardly. "And what did mother say to that?"

"She said that she'd found it; the gem she'd been looking for. The gem redder than rubies and as large as her fist." The King froze as he took note of Zelda's less than enthused reaction. "She leaned up, kissed me on the cheek and whispered in my ear…._I found your heart, the greatest gem of all._"

Zelda's smile erupted as she witnessed the water in her father's eyes pooling. When his lips quivered and his hand shook she realized he wasn't just reminiscing, he was still mourning.

"That woman isn't here anymore!" he whined loudly as the tears fell from his eyes down his cheeks and into his beard. "My precious Zerlina isn't here anymore!" he squeezed his eyes shut as his face twisted red. "I'd give my throne away just to have her back!" he howled in pain. Zelda, with her eyes full of the same tears, jumped up and ran over to him and held him like a child. Together they cried for a moment before he reclaimed his composure and she sat back down.

"Zelda, my most precious, favorite thing in all the kingdoms…. The last purebred female Hylian, I want you to know the happiness and love that Zerlina and I had. Promise me that you'll never fall to become a victim of politics. Do not use your body as a tool to save the kingdom; use your heart." The King spoke as he pointed at her and she nodded with every word. "Out there tonight I saw the men you spoke to, the men you danced with and the man you fought against. I've never been so proud." He straightened himself out and polished off the last of his wine.

"Yes, I promise!" Zelda smiled.

"Your mother and I had **two **children. A first born son who was destined to become King, and a Goddess-like daughter who was free to do as she pleased with her life. Your brother's death was most tragic. It left you in charge with Hyrule's future, it left you with all the responsibilities of the world that I govern today." He paused to look up at an oil painting of a young man who looked strikingly like Zelda.

The name plaque read "**Prince of Hyrule, Bouyin de Hyrule**".

"I miss him so…" Zelda said wistfully. In truth, she barely remembered him. He was ten years older than she and he died years ago. Zelda is now eighteen and he would be twenty eight, but he passed more than ten years ago.

"He was going to the Gerduo desert to make peace with Ganondorf their King. He knew it was risky business so he disguised himself as a Sheikah guard and put a phony in his carriage garbed as himself. So if there was an assassin attempt, they'd kill the phony instead of him, but they ended up slaughtering every single one of them. You're all I have left Zelda." He frowned as he patted the top of her hand.

"I'm still here, and I always will be!" she smiled warmly.

"Yes, you're here now, but who knows about tomorrow! You were almost kidnapped today by that awful Emperor Vaati." The name made the King's blood boil. "I've heard of him before; he causes massive storms and takes over the fell nations of the damage. He's absorbed a decent portion of the world already and it's clear he wants Hyrule too."

Zelda said nothing, she simply looked down. She looked back at the evil Emperor Vaati and how easily he could have killed everyone in the ballroom. A swish of his wrist and the entire royal guard was turned to stone. Impa was thrown around like a ragdoll and the King's magic repelled. She hadn't felt that useless in quite some time, since Bouyin died.

"Had it not of been for that masked man you'd be dead or kidnapped." The King said abruptly. This line snapped Zelda out of her thoughts and back into the conversation.

"Yes…yes the masked man…" she mumbled. "So familiar…"

"I can imagine he might be." The king cleared his throat and poured himself a fresh glass of wine, probably an expensive brand made just for him. He poured a second diamond glass full and handed it to Zelda who took it cautiously. She was old enough to drink, but feared it might be inappropriate given she wasn't currently eating dinner.

"Why does he seem familiar to me?" Zelda asked as she took a taste-test sip of her wine.

"The mask he was wearing, it's from our royal vault. Only myself and Bouyin know the tricks of getting all the way inside. Even Ganondorf and that monsterous Vaati don't know how to get inside."

"Are you saying the masked man is Bouyin?!" Zelda's eyes lit up.

"I don't know." He paused. "But if he isn't then I'll have no choice but to punish him for breaking into the sacred vault and stealing priceless relics."

"But he saved our lives!" Zelda retorted.

"Yes, and I will cut him slack because of that. I will make a bargain with him the next time I see him. Return the mask to me and he won't go to prison. I'll make him a member of the royal guard or perhaps a Knight. Maybe even force him into cultured breeding."

Zelda shook her head gently and blinked several times. "Cultured **breeding**?" she asked with bulging blue eyes.

"I was saving this part for last." He took in a deep breath. "The reason I originally suspected him to be your brother is because of Impa. She said as she faced him on the balcony, the winds from Vaati's entrance blew off his hood and revealed his purebred Hylian ears. She estimated him to be about between sixteen and thirty years old, depending on his vague body build hidden by his cloak. His appearance, his ability to use the golden light, his knowledge of the sacred vault….they all point to him being Bouyin. It's still a long shot, but it's definitely possible." The King said as he kept stealing glances of the painting.

"So…aside from you and I, this masked man is the last purebred Hylian? Are you sure he's a …you know…a **he**?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, Prince Marth confirmed it himself. He said that there was no way in hell that a woman had that body build and strength without large breasts." He smirked. Zelda rolled her eyes.

"Prince Marth was the only person to come into physical contact with the masked man. He'd been helped off the chandelier by the masked man. He was certain it was male. He only reported it to me because he said he himself noticed his long ears and thought it odd with the extinction of our race nearing."

"I'll have to speak to Marth again someday." She noted.

"You don't give him any honor when speaking his name?" the King looked intrigued.

"Oh, he requested not to. He doesn't like the idea of being called anything other than his name." she replied.

"I see, he's not a sausage head like most Princes, I'll give him that." The King said as he nodded his head and took a swig of wine. "He'd make a good King I imagine."

Zelda wanted to tell him about Marth's sexual preference, but found it largely inappropriate and irrelevant so she kept quiet. She'd only bring it up should the King offer him as a superficial suitor.

"So if the masked man isn't Bouyin, you're going to force him to culture breed? Isn't that where you give him large group of the least outbred Hylian girls and force him to impregnate them? Kind of cruel and unusual punishment, don't' you think?" she asked trying to make the topic sound less perverse.

"For hot blooded young men it is not a punishment, but then again should he refuse it'll be impossible to force him. Literally. Worst case scenario…." The King paused and looked at Zelda knowingly.

"Ohhhh no! No, no, no, no, **no!**" she stood up and backed away, wine glass sloshing slightly.

"Oh Zelda!" he roared with laughter. "I didn't mean marry him!" his bellows echoed.

"Then do explain." She demanded cautiously. She didn't like where this was going.

"His punishment, should he not be Bouyin, shall be that he will become your Knight." The King said boldly as he waved the wine glass in her direction in a toasting manner.

Not much of a punishment in reality, is it?

"Knight?" Zelda mouthed thoughtfully.

"Indeed." The King agreed. "You saw the way Vaati fled with his tail between his legs upon seeing him. He must be a hero of some sort that repels evil wherever he goe-"

"That's it!" Zelda shouted suddenly with a screechy voice. Her azure eyes were opened wider than normal, her ears were perked up, and her entire posture announced her emotions eloquently. "He's familiar because he's the one who rescued me from Ganondorf!" she sighed almost happily.

The King said nothing, instead he looked at her with great interest and apprehension.

"I remember parts of it now!" she sat back down and in her girliest pose began retelling her legend.

"I was chained up inside Ganondorf's personal chambers, to his bed. I heard the clashing of swords and the grunts of men. Within an hour it was all over. I remember the smell of smoke as the castle began to burn and the shadows of moblins running about from under the light of the door. When that door burst open there was a masked man in a cloak, he rushed in and broke my chains with his bare hands." She swooned slightly.

"With his…_bare hands_?" the King asked in disbelief.

"Yes! He then scooped me up and carried me by horseback to Hyrule!" she gleamed. "He left without a word and I never saw his face…" she sighed sadly.

"I think you've had too much wine, dear." The King smirked.

"I swear it's true! I was just in too much shock from all the trauma to remember!" she retorted.

"So how come you chose now of all times to remember such details?" he asked.

"Well, you said you'd make him my Knight. It made me remember how 'Knightly' he seemed back then." She explained sheepishly.

"As interesting as that is, if it were even true, how does one obtain the power to do all the things he's done?" he pondered. "Breaking chains with one's hands, using the golden light that only the royal family knows, scaring Vaati senseless, and even defeating Ganondorf; who is he really?"

"I don't know, but I must find him!" Zelda said regally with a fist over her heart. "He will be my Knight!"

"Slow yourself Zelda." The King urged.

"Why? What for? This was your idea in the first place, was it not?"

"Yes, but how in all the lands are you to find him?" he asked.

"I could fake my own peril, you know, pretend to be endangered and he'll come swooping in." she suggested.

"May or may not work. After all he didn't come for you when that guard tried to force himself on you." The King frowned.

"Hardly a villain; just a menace." She scoffed. "Besides! I'm talking about staging my kidnapping again!"

"This conversation has gotten out of hand!" he sighed gruffly and placed his hand over his face.

"Well do you have a better plan?" she asked.

"Yes." He said flatly as he stood up and shook his head. "We announce publicly that this man is a hero and request that he come claim his reward."

Zelda suddenly felt stupid; her plan made her feel childish. She mentally reprimanded herself for such a foolish scheme, not just idiotic, but underhanded at that.

"Alright, is his reward to become my Knight?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not just yet it isn't." he looked thoughtful for a moment. "He needs to be tested; maybe sent on a mission or two. Perhaps we can make him a leader in the army of sorts to initiate him…. Or perhaps he could join our training regime to see his stats and such. After all, we can't have a sissy as your Knight. What if he's too shy to be seen in public or he's socially awkward and can't escort you properly. Many things must be considered."

Zelda let loose a deep well-blown sight. She knew it was too good to be true. She began thinking of all the things that could potentially be wrong with the masked man. He could be a pervert, hideous monster, shy, foul mouthed, uneducated, rude or even evil. He may have saved Zelda's life twice, but who's to say it wasn't out of his own ambitions to have her for himself. She leaned back lazily in her chair and let her head sag off to the side thoughtfully. So many undesirable outcomes passed through her mind.

'_This man could be a nightmare…' _she thought solemnly. _'I can't act like a school girl about this. I have to think like a Queen.'_

"Zelda." The King spoke out as he noticed her change in attitude.

"Yes father?" she asked tepidly.

"First thing tomorrow morning I will announce this man a hero. His reward shall be grand, but I will not offer him knighthood initially. You will personally hand him his reward however, so be up and presentable by dawn." He instructed and went to the door. He opened the door and notioned for the guards to enter. A couple of guards entered and they were given instructions. As soon as they left a maid came in to clean up the diamond glasses and left over wine bottle.

"Zelda, you are excused for the evening. You'd best get some sleep so you'll be at your best at the first sun light." He said and then exited the lounge.

As Zelda got up and left for the bath her father headed to his meeting room where only the top war generals and advisors met. They discussed possible rewards such as gold, rank, women and even land. The King saw it unfit that the masked man receive anything less than grand for the life of his daughter, but all at the same time found it even harder to just hand this total stranger the lands of his people, even if it be just a farm or a hill. The King scratched his chin through his white beard as he groaned.

"How about not announcing a specific reward, let him choose it himself." Rauru suggested with a quick, knowing, smirk.

The King paused in thought for a moment. "That might not be a bad idea…"

"He could very well ask for something small such as a meal. Worst case scenario he asks for Zelda's hand in marriage. Even then that's not so bad, he's a powerful hero and a **purebred Hylian **at that!" Rauru added.

"Yes, yes… I've considered that myself, but Zelda is **not a prize!** She is the future of this land and a person of her own will." The King said harsher than needed. "I will not force her. Encourage perhaps, but never force."

"What if Zelda _wants _to marry this man? Ever think of that?" another man chimed in.

"Not out of the realm of possibilities, but illogical on her part if so. She knows next to nothing about this man's political stance, she also knows not his very name!" the King exclaimed.

"My King, if I may…" Rauru began and the King turned to him slowly. "When he comes, if he comes, ater he receives his reward..." he paused to give the King and every other advisor a glance of drama. "…that we request that he removes his mask and cloak so that we may know the face of a hero."

"I for one wish to know this fellow's background story! Where did he come from? Where has he been hiding all these years? What clan does he belong to? How in Nayru's good name did he acquire the golden light?!" another advisor shouted.

"Exactly!" another chimed in. "We don't know the first thing about this man!"

"I'm sure he's not a villain. He did save Zelda; twice!"

"That doesn't make him a good person. What if he's only in this for the throne? We'd be fools to just hand him Zelda, regardless if she's willing, it could be a trap! Vaati could have staged this event with him!"

"**Silence**!" The King shouted boldly as he stood up.

Immediately everyone shut their traps and collected themselves. The King cleared his throat and gave each of his men a stare and a leer.

"I've come to a decision." He said stiffly.

Everyone awaited his next words with anxiety.

"I will take Rauru's advice and ask this masked man what he'd like as a reward. I will first ask him to return the mask, reveal his identity, and then he will be rewarded. Then we share offer his chair and glass at our dinner table where he will answer his life's questions. If he then seems like a good fellow then I shall request that he take up a position in our military ranks. In time I will evaluate his worth and see his fate from there." The King explained and Rauru plus the advisor's nodded in agreement.

"Rauru," the King began again as he turned to the man. "Have Statley write up a decree stating that the masked man is to report to the castle for a reward and a celebration. Make sure that by dawn that every village and town has heard the message."

With that the meeting dismissed and all of Hyrule awaited the dawn of the next day to come.

* * *

_**BLK: This is a test fanfic. I'm trying to come back into fanfic writing and I thought I may have been rusty.**_


	2. II: Hero of Time

_A Brief Eternity_

The leaves rustled and twigs snapped as the heavy brown boots of the warrior climbed a giant willow tree. His gloved hand with exposed fingers gripped at vine and branch in an attempt at scaling the massive blossoming tree. A pink blossom tickled his long Hylian ear as he passed by a flowery branch. A few scraps of bark and bramble fell to the ground where it landed on a reddish-brown mare below. The horse shuddered and shook the debris off as she continued to graze lazily on moss and grass. As the man reached the flattest branch in the tree, a good forty feet off the ground, he stood up straight and walked into the door to a fairly large tree house.

Once inside he pulled down his hood and removed the mask revealing his pale face and wild blue eyes. He set the mask down on a nearby table and ran a dirty hand through his golden blonde hair. He hoisted his sword and shield off of his back and leaned it up against the adjacent wall. He unlooped his utility belt and other weaponry and dropped them loudly to the floor. He took his dark green and gold cloak off and tossed it carelessly onto a coat rack by the door. He kicked off his heavy boots and removed his sticky gloves. He then slouched over to a lounge chair and flopped down and allowed himself to take a breather.

"Link? Is that you?" a tiny voice called out.

"Hnnnng…." The man groaned out tiredly.

"Link! Oh goodness, where have you been all week?" a tiny blue fairy drifted over to him and landed on his chest. She took note of how dirty his green tunic was and the fact that he smelled of sheer men.

"The Princess was in danger…" he moaned out. Her blue light caused his strained eyes some pain so he covered them with his forearm.

"Princess Zelda of Hyrule?!" she asked to clarify. "Because she's supposed to be the only one you're protecting, but _noooo_! You have to go and protect every damsel and lad in peril. You're going to give yourself a heart attack for being such a goody-goody!" she lectured him mercilessly. It was, in part, her job to keep Link in line; to make sure he didn't make any mistakes.

"What kind of Hero of Time would I be if I just passed up drowning children and burning men?" he scowled as he removed his arm and propped himself on his elbows to look down at her.

"Your job is to protect Princess Zelda! _**Princess Zelda**_! Not everyone!" the fairy retorted.

"Well _excuuuuuuse_ me, Navi!" he sneered sarcastically. The fairy huffed and stamped her dainty foot on his chest. Not that it hurt him any. The worst pain she could inflict on him is if she assaulted him with a sewing needle.

"I don't mind you saving people, but remember your situation! Each time you stop at a village for a day or two to save them from whatever plagues them you are taking time off of your lifespan!" she cried out worriedly.

Link groaned, she was right, but what was he supposed to do?

"I know Navi, but I can't abandon someone screaming for help. I can't keep running on my path when someone falls behind me…." He said almost sadly. "I've made that mistake before…"

Navi's heart sunk, she knew what Link meant.

"Well… You chose the wrong time to keep running that time…" she lifted herself up into the air and hovered just above his chest by mere inches.

"**Hello up there!**" came a young girl's voice.

"I'll get that!" Navi said with a squeak and flew out the door and to the ground.

"Hello!" she greeted the girl.

"I heard Link came back, is it true?" the green haired forest girl asked.

"Yes he did! He's awfully tired right now though. He needs to sleep." Navi informed her.

"Oh, okay. I'll come back later then. Come get me when he's all freshened up?" the girl asked sweetly.

"Of course!" Navi chirped and flew back up into the tree house.

"Was that Saria?" Link asked groggily as he remained motionless.

"Yup! She said she'd come back later." Navi stated then drifted into the kitchen.

Link made a nasty groan as he turned over to his side to face the wall.

"Want something to eat? I can ask Fayle to come make you something!" Navi offered. Fayle was the best cook out of all of the Kokiri children.

"Sure." He said flatly.

Navi hurried off into the Kokiri village and into town. Over the years the Kokiri forest did a bit of expanding due to the next batch of children being borne from the Great Deku Tree. Every thousand years a new set of twelve children are born and they decided that the village was a tad too small when they arrived. Link's willow tree house was located on the very edge of town, right next to the forest that connects to the Deku Gardens where the Deku Scrubs lived. Link's willow tree touched roots with the Great Deku Tree, which made for an amazing view and easier communication with the ancient talking tree. Link often was disturbed by the massive tree's snoring, but he tolerated it because he wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

In truth, Link's tree wasn't just a willow tree; it'd been inbred with a cherry blossom tree to force it to bloom pink during the spring and summer, then the leaves fade to purple, red and orange during the fall. One must admit, he had the prettiest tree all year round. One of the few things he was actually proud of. He sighed as he rolled back onto his back and looked out the window across the room. The pink blossoms of the tree signaled that it was late spring and the heat of summer was approaching. Soon the pink blossoms would turn white, bloom into berries used for potions and then come fall the leaves would change colors.

He'd been so accustomed to living in this tree that he knew every branch's shape and relative size. He knew within a few give or take how many berries the tree would produce come the end of summer. He estimated between three hundred and forty to three hundred and sixty berries; more than enough to hold the Kokiri over until the next batch the following year.

"Ohhh Link!" called out a cutesy voice. Link snapped out of his trance and painfully stood up. He walked outside the tree house and onto the flat branch which served as his 'porch'. He looked down to see a Kokiri girl with long blonde hair and green eyes. This girl was Fayle.

"Hello Fayle," he started. "I hope it isn't too much of a bother for you." He smiled sheepishly down at her.

"Not at all! Nothing is too much of a bother for the great hero!" she smiled brightly as she stepped onto what looked like a wooden swing. Link grabbed ahold of the rope and began pulling her up via a pulley system attached to the wooden swingset. This may seem like a hard task to perform, but the girl was so light and Link was incredibly strong, even in his tired and battered state.

As she reached the top she quickly jumped at him and landed on his chest where she latched on and giggled. "I remember when you were shorter than me…" she smiled, but he didn't see it.

"I remember when you could push me over just by breathing on me!" he grinned.

She giggled and jumped down and ran into his tree house. "I'll make you something _soooo_ filling you'll blow up!" she said with her arms flailing out and a hearty laughter then began scrambling around his kitchen. She rummaged through her little knapsack that she brought and pulled out a freshly killed and defeathered cucco and some vegetables.

Link excused himself to bathe while she cooked. He walked out from his flat branch and slid down the side of the tree with a long branch that let him land gently on the ground. He had his own section of property which included his beloved tree, the land directly under his tree and a backyard with a small section of the forest belonging to him. He used this portion of the forest as a bathhouse because a hot spring naturally erupts there all year round. He walked barefoot along the stone path all the way into the woods where he wouldn't be seen nor bothered.

He stripped himself of his nasty clothing and walked into the hot spring. There was a geyser that continuously erupts with a never ending water flow that he built a rock sculpture around so that the water flow was controlled and he could shower under it. He had batches of homemade soaps made from berries, tree saps, flower nectar, and oils. He used these to cleanse himself of the wars past. He scrubbed away Vaati's winds and lathered off maidens' perils. After his hair and body were thoroughly renewed he allowed himself to float in the hot water. He was exhausted, but he couldn't sleep just yet. He had to eat before going to bed or else he'd wake up starving and in agony.

He rushed himself out of the bath and put on a fresh pair of clothes that had been waiting for him by the hot spring. He kept a sheltered stockpile of clothes outside for emergencies. He tossed his dirty clothes into the hot spring so he could wash them later, for now they'd soak in the hot water. He made his way back to his tree house and once inside his dinner was waiting for him. Fayle had taken the liberty of setting his table and dishing up his plate for him. It was roasted cuckoo with carrots, fresh berries and fruit.

"Hiya Link!" said Saria cheerfully.

"I thought you said you'd come back later. Not that I mind." He said nervously. Saria's presence was never unwanted and he found her voice soothing because she was always a source of happiness for him. She was his greatest friend and his best advisor in times of moral demise.

"Well yes, but I couldn't help but notice that Fayle here was gathering food for you and I decided to help!" Saria said with a smile. Link couldn't help but find himself smiling as well; her happiness was contagious as always.

"Thank you; both of you." He grinned as he sat down at his table. It wasn't odd for the girls to join him for dinner, but his table and chairs were designed for him. He was easily five foot ten, or a hundred and seventy nine cm, and they were about half his height. They had to sit on books and pillows just to be able to reach the table properly. He made a mental note to finish the wooden booster seats he'd started on eons ago. For now they say, unfinished, in his storage shed where he kept trophies and souvenirs from past victories.

They ate together, just like always….always…

They were happy, just like always.

They laughed about inside jokes, just like always.

They were friend and family alike, unlike any other friendship ever.

_Always…_

Just like always, for the past thousand years.

"Link, you were gone a whole week this time. That means you got a week older!" Saria pouted sadly.

"Yes, I know." Link gave her a bitter-sweet smile.

"Please don't ever leave for that long again!" Fayle whined. "One time you were gone for a whole **month**! I'd never been so worried about anyone in my life before that!"

"I may not be able to help it, so I cannot keep that promise. You know that." Link looked down in guilt at his half eaten plate.

"Every time you leave the forest you age! You must be like…like…a hundred years old by now!" Fayle complained with huge eyes. Link laughed.

"No, I'm more like….I wanna say eighteen?" he pondered. He wasn't really sure.

Link was born about a thousand years ago, but he lived inside the Kokiri forest, so he never aged. However upon leaving the forest he begins aging again, but only while he's outside. So if he went outside for one day per year, it'd take him three hundred and sixty five years to age one year. With the special duty of being the 'legendary hero' he only leaves the forest when the world is in need of saving. Just a few months ago he'd saved Princess Zelda from Ganondorf, and again last night from Vaati. No doubt the Great Deku Tree would send him out to save her yet again quite soon.

Time stands still in the Kokiri forest. Some cannot stand the flow of time; others cannot exist without it.

Link coexisted with whatever time threw at him.

Only the Kokiri can stay inside the forest, others perish within a few days. Likewise, the Kokiri children cannot leave the forest, they'd perish in just days. Link was the only person capable of flowing in and out as he pleased. He wasn't born this way though. Link had been a child when he wandered into the forest, thus forever preserving his ability to retain his youth; something you cannot obtain as an adult. Link, being youthful, however did not suffer the fate of death like others. Instead he adapted to the forest. As a small child that had the experience of a hundred year old man, set out for a year to explore Hyrule and came back a year older, a year taller. It was then discovered the unique laws of time that drifted about Link.

Should Link ever leave the forest for good, he'd eventually die an old man just like any other mortal being. This is why the Kokiri children often got worried when Link stayed outside the forest for too long. They knew Link would die someday, it was an inevitable fact, but they wished to preserve him as long as possible.

If not for their sake, but for the fate of the world to have an everlasting hero to lean on when evil arose from hell.

Saria and Fayle cleaned up and left Link to rest in peace. Link climbed into bed and into a deep sleep for the rest of the night.

Navi wandered out of the Kokiri forest on one of her night life adventures. This wasn't unusual of her though. She didn't do it to patrol for danger, but rather for leisure. She liked to escape from the forest and being a fairy she'd receive no consequences of aging or death. She and her friend Spryte, a pink fairy, often pulled harmless pranks on children in Kakariko village.

"I know this kid, Jari, that doesn't believe in magical folks like moblins and fairies! Let's go _**present **_ourselves to him!" Spryte giggled and Navi agreed.

Together they flew off to Kakariko village in the late hours of the night when everyone would surely be asleep. They floated from house to house in hopes of finding a house with a young boy with reddish-brown hair and freckles. Eventually they found the house and it was lit by a single candle. In the living room window they could see a homely, but beautiful, woman nursing a newborn baby. They squeezed in under the door and flew up to the ceiling to avoid being seen by the mother. They then flew down the hallway and under every door until they found the sleeping Jari.

They giggled madly as they schemed a plan so mean that they burst with laughter and fairy dust. They flew up to a bookshelf and together, with their tiny might combined, pushed a book off the bookshelf and onto the bed. The boy immediately jolted from his sleep and looked around. It'd be fairly hard to miss two glowing fairies so they didn't hide. Instead they quickly swirled about in circles around the boy's head. He gasped and gaped in awe at them.

"Woah…" he mumbled mesmerized.

"Hello!" Navi chirped happily.

With a last giggle and roar of laughter they flew under the door and back up to the ceiling of the living room. Jari jumped out of his bed and ran into the living room where he began rambling to his mother.

"Momma! Momma! The story books were true! There **are **fairies!" he jumped up and down slightly and pointed towards his bedroom. The woman look quizzical then shook her head.

"Dear you've had a dream. Please go back to bed before you wake your brother. I **just** got him back to sleep." She moaned with a tired smile.

"But momma!" he whined. "They're here!"

She groaned and tilted her head to look at him like she was tired of his imagination, but just then two blue and pink orbs of light skittered across the room and squished under the front door and flew off into the night.

"See momma!" the boy's eyes went wide and he did a jig of excitement. The mother just stared in disbelief and amazement out the window as she watched the fairies departing.

"That was so much fun!" Navi exclaimed as she landed on a window sill of another house.

"Yup! Now that kid will grow up forever believing we exist!" Spryte said proudly as she drifted down to where Navi was. The window they perched on was slightly opened and there was a fireplace lit.

"Is this our next victim?" Navi asked as she looked at the old man and woman in rocking chairs in front of the fire.

"Yup! Let's go inside!" Spryte said deviously.

They gently floated inside and waited for the perfect time to pop out and surprise their latest targets, but Navi stopped Spryte when she heard the couple speaking.

"The king released a statement about an hour ago from the castle." The man said to his wife who looked over at him intrigued.

"Oh? What did it say?" she asked as she continued to knit her project.

"Apparently Princess Zelda's formal ball was interrupted by some villain, an Emperor of winds or something. A Vaati or what's his name? Anywho, a masked man saved everyone! But he vanished into thin air and now the King is looking for him to give him a reward. He's sent out messages to all areas of Hyrule, and beyond, for this masked man to report to the castle by dawn!" the man explained.

"Lucky guy! He'll probably get to kiss the Princess's hand!" the old woman smiled.

"Lucky indeed! He'll probably dine with the King, dance with the Princess, and walk away with a fat wallet!" he gave a perverse chuckle, but Navi believed it to be more out of the thought of dancing with the Princess than for the money.

"Hey Spryte, let's not hit this house. I want to relay this message to Link as soon as possible!" Navi said and Spryt agreed. They'd come back another night to haunt them, but right now Link was more important.

Once Sprtye and Navi reached Link's house they found him, dead asleep in his feather hammock. Link had two beds, a hammock and a regular four poster, but he rotated every now and again. He was nice and cozy when two fiendish balls of light began to bounce up and down on his face. He swatted at them annoyed and rolled over catching Navi under the blankets and trapping her beneath him. She struggled to make her way out of the cover and tried her best not to damage her dainty, delicate wings in the process.

"_Liiiink! You ogre! Get off_!" she hissed as him.

"Mmmm!" he groaned loudly and snuggled his pillow, squishing her even more. Spryte became frustrated and flew down to his ear where she placed her head inside his ear lobe.

"**LINK!" **she screamed and his eyes flew open and he struggled to cover his ear.

Navi was freed from her warm and cozy prison and flew up to Spryte's side. Link tossed around growling in pain as he held his ear and spouted profanities in ancient Hylian.

"Link I'm so sorry to wake you, but it's an emergency!" Spryte cried out and he stopped his resistance.

"Wh-what's wrong?" he looked panicked. He did his best to listen to them with only one ear operational, the other ringing loudly.

"The King of Hyrule has summonsed you!" Navi wailed out. Link's eyes blinked and reopened widely.

"B-but….how? Why? What?" Link sputtered out stupidly. In all his years of existence, never once had he been summoned by anyone besides the Great Deku Tree. The King of Hyrule was definitely a first.

"He put out a decree to all of Hyrule and the neighboring countries that the 'masked man who saved Princess Zelda' is to report to the castle by dawn to receive a reward!" Navi explained.

"Well it's just a reward, if I decline I can just ignore it, right?" Link frowned.

"No! You can't! It's the **King** that's summoning you! You're bound by divine law to serve and protect Hyrule and its royal family, and that includes being summoned!" Navi panicked.

Link had never once been truly exposed before, he'd been spotted and spoken to, but never exposed entirely. Throughout time he'd met the Princess, many other royals from other countries, and even the King of Hyrule's past, but never the current King. In fact, the last time he met a King of Hyrule was over seven hundred years, but not because he was summoned. Link wasn't sure what to do. If he ignored the summons and the reward, he'd be breaking the law the Goddesses assigned him. If he went he'd expose himself and all hell would break loose. He bit his lip, he considered praying to Farore for her advice, she usually responded.

"Link?" Navi asked worried.

"I….I don't know." Link's ears drooped.

"Well, my advice is that you go in disguise, decline or accept whatever reward they offer…then haul ass." She said flatly. Link smirked, Navi was always rash, but he wasn't so devious.

"I'm afraid that's a no-go. If I went, they'd most definitely want to see my face." He sighed and his shoulders slumped. He had little to no choice. "I'll have to go, I'm bound by divine law, you said it yourself." He said in defeat.

"What will you do if you're completely exposed?" Spryte asked curiously.

"Well, I'm not under contract to reveal every detail of my personal life, but all the same I cannot lie. If they ask where I live…I'm lost. I cannot tell them I live in the Kokiri forest, they'll think I'm nuts!" Link sighed and flopped his head back down onto his pillow.

"Well I'll wake you up just before dawn, you should get some sleep. You can figure out what you will do on your ride to the castle." Navi said and Link agreed. He was tired enough to be able to fall back to sleep immediately and didn't have to spend hours laying away thinking about it all.

Morning was near. As Navi woke Link up, Impa woke Zelda up. Dawn was in an hour.

"Princess, I've picked out your finest dress for today." Impa said as Zelda sat up and stretched in her massive bed. Her bed's curtains were drawn back to the posts so that the floor-to-ceiling window's light could bathe her. She slid off her bed in her oversized white silk nightgown. She tiptoed to her vanity mirror where, with a bowl of hot water and a clean rag, she washed her face up.

The water helped her not only wake up and refresh herself, but it got rid of any left-over make up from last night's ball. She was slipped into a tight corset that gave her unnaturally sexy curves and larger hips. This gave her the illusion that her hips were better made for giving birth and further illusions that she was more fertile. Most high class women did this to attract an even higher class man, but Zelda did it simply for show. Zelda's breasts were a medium C cup, but with the corset on they were a bit larger; bigger than necessary for attracting a man. Finally her dress came out and it was big and fluffy. It was pink with sparkles and the middle part was purple with silver sashes. Her shoulder armor and waist line golden Triforce belt was snapped into place. Her hair was curled and decorated with little pink flowers here and there.

She was placed with her royal crown and her mother's pink diamond necklace. She was draped with a ten foot long pink see-through cape that was bunched at the shoulders and lined with fine white feathers. She looked absolutely Queen like. Her make-up was done almost Egyptian like and she was given the Queen's scepter; a family relic from the ancient days of Hyrule. Every Queen of Hyrule has used this scepter. With a quick glance over she looked remarkable, but gaudy.

A last detail was added, her mother's wing guards. They were angel wing-shaped hair clips that fit just behind and above her ears.

Zelda made her way down to the throne room, which was currently closed off from anyone but Zelda and the King. She stood before the King and curtseyed.

"Good, you're here early." He smiled pleased. "I wanted a word with you before we began, assuming he shows up at all." He started and motioned for her to sit in the Queen's throne. It was a rare, if not odd, offer, but she took it. She'd been allowed to sit in her mother's throne all but twice prior. As she sat he collected his thoughts and stroked his beard.

"What rewards have you chosen to give him?" she asked trying to make conversation from the sudden silence.

"Ahh yes, about that." He shifted in his seat. "We had a meeting last night and we decided against offering your hand in marriage; it goes against everything I believe to toss you at just any stranger who saves you. However should you choose to offer yourself to him, I won't stand in your way. He has many things going for him that make his a suitable King. For one he's powerful and another thing being he's a purebred. But I've decided against offering him a reward in specifics. Instead I shall ask him what he wants and see what he says. Although should he ask for you I most likely will put him through some tests."

"A very good plan, but what if he is too humble to name a prize and instead walks out with nothing because he is too proud to ask for anything?" she asked.

"That, my dear, is a good question. I will not allow him to leave empty handed, unless he becomes hostile, which is unlikely. I will **command **him to leave with either gems or gold at the very least." The King made a fist, but not out of anger. "A hero should not go unrewarded."

"I'm glad your most forefront thoughts are of his well-being." Zelda said, it was the only thing she could think of to say.

As Zelda and the King waited patiently for the sun to raise, Link was on Epona and riding like the wind towards the castle. Epona was easily the fastest, strongest and bravest horse in all of Hyrule. Link reached the main gates to Hyrule Castle Town and waited for the mote bridge to drop. He wore his mask and hooded cloak so that no one would recognize him. His sword and shield were strapped over the top of his cloak to keep it from ripping off. He had his sword and shield covered as to not reveal the fact that he had the Master Sword to the public. He looked positively dangerous and scary, like a damn warrior ninja from Ganon's army.

As the bridge completely opened Epona reared up with a loud neigh before taking off and top speed for the castle entrance. Guards scattered about as the masked man strode through town, angelically avoiding causing any accidents. Some guards from the castle with looking glasses spotted the masked man approaching the castle and alerted the guards inside to open the doors.

"He's here!" a guard shouted into the throne room as he opened the door.

"The masked man is here!" another shouted further down.

The King smirked, he was pleased that the masked man had obeyed the summons. It showed not just loyalty, but bravery as well. The masked man had some balls for making an appearance upon request.

Link stopped Epona just at the second mote that guarded the castle. He hopped off of her and let her go loose knowing that she wouldn't wander very far. The guards cowered before him, well most of them did. A couple ballsy ones stood in his way of getting inside the castle.

"Look, **pal**, just because you're mysterious and saved the Princess doesn't mean you can go asking to marry her. So don't even try it!" one said with his arms crossed.

"Yeah! No matter what, lay off Princess Zelda! She's too good for you!" the other said snooty.

Link made no reply, he only leaned around them to peek inside the castle that they so foolishly blocked him from. Another guard walked up to the trio and coughed loudly at them.

"What's the hold up here?" he asked.

"Just giving _newbie_ here a firm warning." One of the bully-guards replied.

"That is not your place. The King **will** hear of this outrage. Step aside Androose." The guard said and Androose scorned at Link.

"Masked Hero, please enter the throne room. The King and the Princess eagerly await you." The guard said.

Wordlessly Link stepped forth and into the castle door. He made his way down a long narrow corridor that fed into the court room where the thrones were.

"**Now entering, the Masked Man!" **shouted the crier.

Link glanced over at him with an expression of 'what the hell, man?', but the guard couldn't see his face through the mask. The guard did however notice that he was being stared at by him and quickly corrected himself.

"**I repeat, now entering the Masked **_**Hero**_**!" **the crier shouted again.

"You may step forth, Hero." The King said loudly with him bolstering voice.

Link obliged and slowly walked towards the thrones where his new future awaited him. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the thrones he stopped and kneeled; he was all but five or six feet from the royals. The King smirked, yet another virtue about him, he was submissive. This alone was a tremendously hard quality to find him mercenaries and rogue warriors who weren't already attached to a specific kingdom.

"Arise, Hero." The King commanded and Link stood and awaited yet another command.

"Uhng!" Zelda moaned out as she grasped her left hand and clutched it to her chest. Her scepter fell to the ground where Link caught it from clashing to the ground.

"Zelda! What ails you so suddenly?" the King looked over in fear at the Princess who squirmed uncomfortably.

"My hand! My hand!" she cried out in a whimper. She then held up her left hand to see the golden light of the Triforce gleaming on the top of her hand. The King's eyes widened in horror. It was clearly reacting to the Masked Man before them.

"Are you…ugh! Are you after my Triforce of Wisdom?" she asked through grit teeth.

Link shook his head in denial.

"Then why? Why is this happening?" The King asked in disbelief.

Link lifted his left and towards her and allowed the Triforces of Courage and Power to radiate from his hand. Both Zelda and the King gawked on. The King's hand trembled immensely and Zelda's initial reaction was to press her back into the throne. Link extended her scepter in her directiong, offering it back to her. She took it shakily in her right hand, her left hand remained drawn to her chest.

"Remove your hood at once!" the King commanded loudly as if angered. "I wish to see for myself if the rumors are true, that you're a purebred Hylian!"

Link inwardly winced, he knew where this was going and didn't like it. They'd expose him. Alas he wasn't allowed to refuse the order and lowered his hood to reveal his long elven ears. They were slightly longer than Zelda's, which signified that he was even purer than she, which previously thought not possible. Zelda gasped slightly, the glowing ache from her hand never ceasing.

"It's true then…you're a purebred." The King's voice was shaky.

Link nodded his head.

"Please, I know I ask too much of you already, Hero." The King began as he regained his focus. "But the mask you bare is a sacred mask from my people's history. It is clear that you have stolen it. I humbly request that you return it."

Link regretted showing up immediately. He wished he'd remained hidden in the Kokiri forest. He cleared his thoughts and erased the grimace from his face. He allowed himself to relax and with a click he removed the mask to reveal his gorgeous face and wild blue eyes. Link replaced the mask with his usual green hat that he snugged into place. He then stepped closer to hand the mask to the King who took his gently.

As Link came closer to the King, he inadvertently became closer to Zelda as well. Link's attention was focused squarely on the King's face, but as he drew back his eyes wandered to the semi-frightened Zelda's cerulean eyes. Their eyes locked in a fraction of a second. Nothing was communicated; nothing was spoken, but their eyes looked into each other's if not but for a brief eternity. In an instant he blinked and was standing back in his original spot before the marble stairs looking up at her. She was mystified, in part, by his wild blue eyes. Then she collected herself. The whole event took less than a couple of seconds, but it felt much longer.

"Thank you, young Hero." The King smiled. "Why ever did you steal this mask in the first place?"

Link didn't wish to speak, ever. He knew that the exchange of words only made for bonds that were emotionally painful to break when there were 'goodbyes' to be said.

But, he was bound by divine law to obey…

"I didn't steal it." He said flatly as he looked back up at Zelda with sympathy.

"Then how did you acquire it, boy?" the King looked upset.

Link looked pensive. "The day Prince Bouyin died, he gave it to me. He was a dear friend of mine and it is the only thing of him I have left." Link looked to the ground in sorrow. "I just wish I'd stayed by his side during his final mission."

The King became speechless, Zelda's eyes watered.

"You're Link, aren't you?" Zelda asked. Link's head snapped up at her in surprise.

"You know my name?" he asked in slight shock.

"My brother used to tell me fairy tales of a man from the Kokiri forest who'd visit him and together they'd go out rescuing damsels in distress and kitten from trees. He was always escorted by a fairy and he wieleded a legendary blade. Are you him?" Zelda's gentle voice was quiet, but Link's sensitive Hylian ears heard her easily.

"No. I am not." He frowned. "I did however save him when he was a child. I then again much later helped him push back the Goron wall when they tried to declare war. I however didn't make it to his side when the Gerudo amushed him. I have never been able to let that moment escape my thoughts." Link confessed.

"I guess they really were nothing but fairy tales then. I do believe that he idolized you though." Zelda smiled gently as she wiped her eyes. Link looked up at her hopeful. "They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. He must have made up stories of you and he being dear friends and going on heroic adventures together."

Link returned her smile with a silent laugh. Just a single laugh. He'd had no idea Bouyin, the Prince of Hyrule, has idolized him. It was indeed flattering.

"So, Link." The King said and Link looked over to him. "You have saved our people on multiple occasions apparently. Last night you saved us all from that vile Emperor Vaati. May I just ask, was it really you that rescued my precious Zelda from that awful Ganondorf?"

"Yes." He stated stoically. He didn't want to brag, but it was true.

"I see, I shall have to bare that in mind." The King tilted his head down to him. It was his way of showing respect. Link bowed in return. "I believe my decree offered you a reward. Now tell me Link, what would you like. You can have anything! Name it!" the King smiled most generously.

Link blinked and smirked.

"I don't want anything. I didn't report to you in hopes of a reward. I came because you summonsed me." Link said. A memory of the guard telling him not to request marriage to Princess Zelda came back to him and he dismissed it entirely. Not that he even wanted to marry someone.

"Surely you must take something with you! I cannot allow you to leave _**unrewarded**_." He rose an eyebrow at the baffled Link.

Link became nervous. He honestly didn't want anything, what should he say?

"Money? Land? A _**harem?" **_the King winked and Zelda rolled her eyes. Link couldn't hold in his laugh. He tried to silence it, but he still made a noise of amusement.

"N-no thank you. I'm good.." Link chuckled out. Zelda smiled, at least he wasn't a promiscuous man-whore.

"Well, you may think things over breakfast then!" the King clapped his hands and all the side doors to the throne room flung open.

Within seconds there were butlers and servants carrying tables into the throne room and dressing them white with cloth. Then maids brought out platter after platter of food. Within a couple of minutes everything was set and Link looked at Zelda for sympathy. The ache in her hand ceased long ago and she felt very comfortable sitting directly across the table from him with her father at the head of the table. Impa sat to Zelda's other side. No one else was allowed into the dining hall as to not eavesdrop on their conversation.

"So, Link, where are you from?" Zelda asked then she took a bite of her rice.

"I uhh…" Link hesitated. He knew this was all a very, very bad idea. He wasn't allowed to lie. "The sky."

Zelda's paused, furrowed her brow and tilted her head. Impa looked up in absolute curiosity and the King stopped chewing and leaned over to leer at him better. Link gave a nervous smile.

"I'm not lying, I really do come from the sky!" he tried to smile, but it came off as suspicious.

"Do explain. Did a bird give birth to you or are you from the Sacred Realm?" The King asked almost rudely. Link sighed miserably.

"Skyloft, it's called Skyloft." Link began. "It's a-"

"You're joking…" Impa breathed out and Link looked up at her expectantly. "You're from..**Skyloft**…the homeland of the Goddess Hylia?"

"Yes." Link said as he took a quick sip of wine.

Impa made an unreadable facial expression. "Skyloft has been lost for ages! We're not even sure it was ever real!"

"Well it is. It's sort of deserted now, but it was once full of life." Link explained.

"So something happened to it recently?" the King asked eager to hear more. If Link was around the same age as Zelda and Link was born on Skyloft, then that means that something happened within the last decade or so to cause a downfall in population there.

"No…" Link inwardly scolded himself. He shouldn't of told them anything, but he wasn't allowed to lie… "A thousand yeard ago Demise kidnapped Hylia, the first Princess Zelda. I was childhood friends with her so naturally I set out to find her. I'd found out she'd fallen off the side of Skyloft so I called upon my loftwing to go rescue her. I came down to what is now Hyrule to find her." Link began his story and everyone listened closely.

"When I'd rescued her and defeated Demise I discovered that she was Hylia in mortal form. She had to remain down there to protect the future. Many people from Skyloft decended as well so that they may build a kingdom on the surface. They called it Hyrule. Even though Princess Zelda was just a young child she became Queen at the age of eight. And even though I'd rescued her I had no place in Hyrule. I had the Triforce of Courage and I needed to protect Hyrule from afar. I'd scour the lands looking for evil to destroy, but I eventually found myself inside the Kokiri forest. I met the Great Deku Tree and the Kokiri children who-"

"Hey wait, you just told me you weren't the boy from the Kokiri forest that my brother spoke of!" Zelda pouted.

"I'm not…I mean… I am that guy, but… I didn't go on adventures of rescuing women and kittens from trees with him." He frowned. Zelda accepted his answer and urged him to continue his story.

"Well I was a small child by the time I came into the Kokiri forest and since I was so young the forest didn't just kill me. As long as I remain inside the forest I don't age. But as you can see I'm nearly an adult now. For every second I am outside the forest, it is one second added to my age. I am only immortal while I stay inside the Kokiri forest. It's why I don't come out too often." Link looked on nervously at their intrigues expressions.

"Your hat…it's green and pointy…" Impa noted. Link shifted his head to look at the end of his hat that dangled over his shoulder like hair.

"Yeah?" he muttered. How was hit hat important? Was it iconic?

"Mind removing your cloak for me?" Impa asked. "I wish to confirm something."

"Okay…" Link said and stood up he took off the sword and shield that were wrapped in black cloth to keep discreet because of them being such rare relics. They were clear that they were weapons, but no one could see their designs. Once they were off he removed the cloak to reveal his green tunic, white leggings and brown boots and gloves.

"Oh my Farore…" Impa whispered. "You're him, the boy from the stories."

"Who?" Zelda asked.

"In the Temple of Time there is a room with stained glass pictures. They depict the original Princess Zelda and a boy garbed in green wielding the Master Sword and rescuing the lands using the Triforce. Is that you, Link?" Impa asked.

"Yes." Link once again responded flatly.

"You're not a boy anymore, are you?" Impa smiled wistfully. Link gave a sad smile.

"Oh really?" the king looked skeptical. "If it really is you then you can draw the Master Sword from its pedestal!" he bellowed. "I wish to see this. To the Temple of Time!" he cried out expectantly.

Link bit his lips.

Shit…

"Can you do it , boy?" the King asked.

"I already did…" he gave an odd look then leaned down to pick up the covered sword and shield. He undressed them to reveal the Master Sword and the Hylian shield.

The King did a religious hand motion as if praying and stood up. "**Is that sword real, boy?!" he** stammered.

"Yes." Link replied.

"Guards!" the King shouted and Link jumped in fear. Was he going to be apprehended for stealing a sacred relic.

"I'm sorry!" Link whined in apology and lowered his head. He didn't 'steal' it, it was made for him and he needed it to save the world!

"Guards, touch that sword." The King commanded and Link realized that it was a simple test. "Link, drop the sword into the ground, wedge it between the bricks in the floor and back away." He commanded.

Link obeyed and stood back. "I must warn you, it can cause injury to those not the Hero of Time."

The King's head snapped over to Link's direction. "You now claim to be the _**Hero of Time**_?! If it is true then you are practically a God yourself!"

Link's head shrunk into his shoulder. Shoulda' stayed in bed today…Shoulda' sent a letter to the castle faking his own death…

The first guard reached out his hand and advanced towards the holy sword. Link grimaced knowing exactly what would happen. The guard's hand almost made contact when a crackle of holy lightning repelled him and sent him sliding across the floor and into a wall. The other guards scurried around to help the fallen guard to his feet, but he was out cold. The King turned to Link and mouthed an apology.

Link was allowed to sheath the Master Sword, but since the cat was out of the bag he didn't bother covering it again with the black cloth. Link pulled out the Ocarina of Time and walked over to the injured guard and began playing an ominous melody. This song was known as the Song of Healing and it healed the man's injured hand from the strike from the Master Sword. The guard looked up at Link like he was a Deity; truly mesmerized by the alluring sound of Link's song. He watched on in amazement as the wound from the lightning's heat strike healed up slowly.

"You have it? You have the Ocarina of Time as well?!" Impa's eyes widened as she too listened to Link's song.

"It really is him…" the King muttered. "It's the Hero of Time!" the King sat back down and downed his glass of wine happily. He was witnessing legends and stories of olde pass before his eyes.

A God stood before him.

They resumed eating and talking, it all seemed so surreal. As Link spoke about the culture differences between Hyrule and Skyloft, Zelda couldn't help but stare into Link's wild blue eyes. They were the most lovely shade of blue she'd seen in her life. Another thing hit her, that her subconscious noticed immediately, but she herself moved to the back of her mind.

He was beautiful.

So attractive, so handsome…. He was like a male model from Sabireth Hills, but without the creepy factor. He had golden hair, those endangered wild blue eyes, the perfect nose shape for a male and nearly perfect skin. His looks were probably products of being frozen in time physically inside the Kokiri forest where he didn't age for eons. She sighed dreamily as she realized that she wouldn't mind being forced to marry him after all. She wouldn't mind baring his child.

'_Woah now Zelda!' _she thought abruptly. _'Get ahold of yourself!'_

"How was their water irrigation system? What methods did they use to gain fresh water?" Impa asked.

"Well, most people just had large buckets sitting outside waiting for it to rain, but we had a magic basin that kept water moving from an endless waterfall, to a small lake, then to underground where it'd start all over again. It never ran out of water, but it needed to be boiled before drinking first. Fished lived in it. Because ya' know…_fish poop_." He answered with a small laugh. Zelda giggled with him, which came off as phony because she was only just starting to listen to his story again and had no idea what they were talking about.

"Well, I think I should be going home now. I don't think I should stay out of the forest for too long…" he said as he stood up.

"Oh but please!" Zelda grabbed him by the forearm from across the table. It was the first time she'd touched him physically. Their eyes met; his nervous and hers pleading. "Please stay for one night! I know it takes a day out of your life, but it does everyone else as well! Please stay for one day so that we may learn from you!" she begged almost childishly.

He had no idea what came over him just then. "S-sure, of course." He said slowly.

He hadn't said it out of obedience, curiosity, or pity, but out of impulse. He decided that he wanted to learn more about the current royal family, Princess Zelda in particular.

As her hand left his forearm he sat back down.

"Please play us another beautiful song on your Ocarina." Zelda asked sweetly.

"Okay." Link said as he blushed slightly and pulled the Ocarina of Time back out. He thought for a moment which song the Princess would like, then he got it. He began playing Saria's Song. Zelda's smile spread into an amused grin. She hadn't heard this lovely rhythm before. She wanted to dance to it, it was so alive!

Dance….

"Oh father, we must throw Link a welcoming ball tonight before he leaves!" Zelda said and Link stopped playing his song. His eyes widened slightly in fear, but the Triforce of Courage overwhelmed his fear and calmed him. Another curse… he was incapable of feeling true fear for longer than but a mere moment. Sadly the only things he truly feared were dancing, talking to females intimately and screaming babies.

"Hold yourself Zelda!" The King looked at her. "We just had a ball crashed last night. Our guests may not have recovered yet."

Zelda pouted to herself, he had a good point.

"Besides…" Link spoke. "I don't know how to dance and I'm afraid I'd have nothing to wear to such an event." He said sheepishly.

"Well those aren't problems, we can train and clothe you! But I'm afraid that our other guests may not be ready for a ball reschedule so soon…" Zelda sighed.

"Well, let's ask them!" the King suddenly changed his mind. "If our guests feel up to continuing the ball tonight, then would you be Zelda's escort for the evening?" the King asked. All of them did a double take.

Zelda was thrilled to have Link as her escort.  
Impa was appalled a male would be escorting Zelda to a **suitor's** ball.  
The King wanted a purebred heir.

Link wanted nothing but his freedom.

He wasn't allowed to disobey…

"Link, would you be so kind?" the King asked gingerly.

"It'd be my honor." He swallowed his consciousness and damned his own bravery.

"Guards!" the King shouted and several men aligned before him. "Go to each of the ball's guests and ask them if they'd like to join a ball tonight. We've decided to continue last night's events into this evening. Everyone is to be reinvited!" he ordered and the guards obeyed.

As they awaited word from each guest Zelda took Link on a tour of the castle. She shooed Impa away so that she could be alone with him. Impa took her cape and scepter back to her bedroom for her so she wouldn't be burdened. Zelda walked swishingly down the hallway, swaying her hips to and fro. Link, who'd put his sword and shield back onto his back, walked as relaxed as he could muster himself. He was nervous. He wasn't used to looking straight across to talk to people, he was used to those Kokiri children and all their shortness. Zelda was tall in his opinion. He became slightly mesmerized by her ornate body language as they engaged in meaningless conversation.

"What was the first Princess Zelda like?" she asked cutely.

"Like you, a **lot **like you." He smiled over to her innocently. "She was…generous, kind, smart, and…" he locked eyes with her. "…beautiful." He finally added.

She had to look away she was so embarrassed. Giggling she said "Well, I hope she hadn't captured your heart, I'm not exactly on the market." She joked. This was entirely a lie, in every way possible.

"I know, the guards told me to not ask to marry you on my way in." he gave a knowing smile. He was aware that the guards didn't call the shots on that at all, they were just asses.

Zelda gasped fakely and made an annoyed, but silly, laugh.

"I wonder if it's still here…" Link mumbled as they reached the main garden of the courtyard.

"What?" she questioned as she noticed his absent stare out into the seemingly endless field of flowers.

"Wanna see a Great Fairy?" Link asked smirking. Zelda's eyes widened.

"Fairies are **real**?" she asked in pure amazement.

"Well of course! Who else is going alert me when you're in danger?" he said jokingly. She didn't know how to reply because apparently fairies spied on her now. "Navi and Spryte are the ones who told me I was being summonsed by the King. Otherwise I would have slept in all day and never of gotten your message."

"Oh wow! Can we see fairies now?" she asked as excited as a child.

"Yes!" she beamed at her and together they took off running through the fields.

They ran for several minutes, guards ignoring them and cats scampering out of their way. Finally they reach a rockwall that separated Hyrule Castle Town and the Great Sea. Link and Zelda walked along the rock wall for over ten minutes before they found a giant boulder blocking a hole in the siding of the wall.

"This is it." He said.

"Ohhh! It's blocked!" Zelda pouted her lips out annoyed.

"Oh pssshhh… It's nothing!" Link grinned as he reached into his pouch and from seemingly out of nowhere pulled out a giant spiked boulder on a chain. Zelda stood back as, with great ease, Link swung the massive thing around in the air and continuously smacked the boulder to bits and pieces. He then put the ball and chain back into his pouch where it vanished.

"That's amazing!" Zelda whispered.

He urged her inside the dark cave where he lead her into the darkness.

"Link! It's pitch black in here! How am I supposed to see fairies?" she asked just as he put an arm on her shoulder. She suddenly got the horrible feeling that there were no fairies and he was about to do something horrible to her.

"Watch this!" he said and she heard the ruffling of his pockets. She nearly panicked until he pulled out a triangle shaped item with a red glowing orb in the center. The orb in the center began to expand until it enveloped the entire cave and every torch around the room was lit simultaneously.

Zelda watched with pure wonder in her eyes as the cave came to life and seashells and sand erupted into her sights. There was a small pool of water inside of what appeared to be a giant open clam shell. Link lead her up to a golden Triforce logo on the ground where he then pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played a very familiar tune.

"My lullaby?" she asked astounded. He knew her lullaby…

He put the Ocarina away and gave her one of the most secretive side smirks as the water in the clam began to rumble.

With a sudden force of magic and life a divine figure burst forth before Zelda's eyes. This being floated on the water with the ease of grace and elegance. The figure was a dark reddish color with long red hair and bright green eyes. She was wrapped in ivy and flower blossoms from ancient times. She began speaking in a language Zelda did not comprehend, but she picked up on a few key words like 'legend', 'hero' and 'Goddess'. It was Ancient Hylian, a lost language. Link replied in this same language and smiled up at the fairy woman who winked at him.

"My apologies, Princess Zelda." The fairy spoke to her. "I saw Link here and a tongue from beyond the grave slipped through my mouth! _Tee hee!_" the Great Fairy laughed hysterically.

"You're a Great Fairy?" Zelda asked as she tried her best to remember every detail about this being's form and figure.

"Yes, and I wish to replenish you both!" she said loudly and she spun around and blasted a red energy wave at them. "Oh Link, you're wasting your life out here! Hurry! Go home already!" the fae giggled loudly.

"I'm afraid I cannot just yet. I've been invited to one of Princess Zelda's famous balls." He looked over to her happily. "I'd be a fool to turn it down. It's a _once in a lifetime _opportunity after all."

Zelda smiled a smile unlike any other she'd shed in her life. Undoubtedly unlike any other smile any other Princess Zelda ever had.

"Ahooohohoo!" the Great Fairy screamed with laughter and she rolled through the air. "Lucky dog you! Very well then, enjoy your night out kids! I must be going back to the Sacred Realm now! Bottle some of my fairies for later if you must! _Gooooobyyyeeeee_!" she cackled loudly as she exploded back into her hiding spot.

As her poof of smoke vanished it was replaced by little pink fairies that drifted all about them. Some charged at Zelda and spun around her leaving trails of glitter all around her. She laughed with joy as each one amused her with their pink light of life. Link watched in delight as she giggled and squeaked playfully with the little fairies. He got an idea. He grabbed her by the hand and spun around with her and all the fairy charged at them; around and around with them. All Zelda could see was Link's happy expression with a distorted and swirled background of fairies and seashells as they spun around like children. Her hair got some sweet air time as they picked up momentum.

Their hands were clasped together and they were at arm's length away from each other. This moment was eternal to her. Suddenly their eyes met in a strange, but slow, passion. She'd never felt this way before. As the fairies lavished them with fairy dust, Link's eyes bore into hers in ecstasy. He smiled grandly at her, this was the lightest she'd ever felt. He retracted his arms so that she was slightly closer and their chests touched. Her heart fluttered; just like when she first laid eyes on him, time stopped for a brief eternity.

The light of the healing fairies…

The looks in his eyes…

The smile on his face…

The way her heart fluttered and dropped and pounded and…and…

…and then the torches went out.

She screeched in freight for a split second before he grabbed her tightly and held her against himself. He laughed at her sudden fear and let her go. All she could see was the soft pink light from the fairies that wafted lazily about the cave's darkness. She could see Link's form as the light of the fae reflected off of his Godlike figure. Just enough light to see his face and his movements. Link reached into his pocket and pulled out several bottles. He handed her a few and she looked puzzled.

"Help me catch them in bottles before they're all gone." He smiled and she agreed.

It was a tricky task. They were a bit illusive to say the least. Link had five bottles filled, but Zelda only had one. He waited patiently and laughed as she finally finished filling her bottles. She looked at him with a disapproving smile. She wanted to laugh too, but she knew she was being made fun of. She didn't mind though, Link had a way of making her feel good about her flaws. She gave him the bottles and he stored them into his infinite pockets. He handed her one bottle with a fairy inside and she took it graciously. She tucked it into the top of her corset and out of sight.

He then lead her out of the dark cave and back into the morning sunlight. They walked arms looped back through the garden where they sat down in the middle of the field of flowers. There wasn't a tree within a few hundred yards. It was an endless garden of flowers and herbs. The aromatic wonderland was overwhelming in both scent and sight. Like a painting her pink dress and his green tunic fit into the fields like nature. They laid on their backs, his sword and shield off to the side, as they stared up at the perfectly blue sky. A cloud here, a sun there, and possibly a Skyloft somewhere up there.

"The world is so much more beautiful with a friend to enjoy it with." He said. She'd never thought of it like that before, she'd have to remember that line.

"It sure is…" she said with a tiny smile. She picked up a wishing flower and blew it without making a wish. Not that she didn't believe in wishes, she just already had what she wanted in the moment.

"It's such a pity, this flowerbed is the only thing that blooms in the drought…" she sighed bitter sweetly.

"Drought?" he asked as he propped himself up on his elbows to look over at her.

She turned over on her side to look at him in the eyes; those wonderful wild blue eyes.

"It hasn't rained in Hyrule in months. All that has survived are the castle's flowers, which is a miracle in itself." She frowned elegantly, just as a Princess should. He looked at her like 'I gots this!'.

He stood up and pulled out his Ocarina again and began playing a strangely ominous melody. She enjoyed his other songs, but this one was eerie and incredibly out of place in the bright and sunny field.

Well it **was **sunny.

The clouds suddenly turned dark and heavy, with intentions of crying their hearts out to the lands. The winds bellowed and whipped gently at her hair and dress. She too stood up.

"Is Vaati coming back or are you doing that?!" she asked in a panic.

He stopped playing. "It's me, just watch." He said as he resumed his song. He continued playing the estranged song until the rain began to fall gently. "It's the one power Vaati and I have in common; the rain." He smirked.

"Y-you can make it **rain**?!" she shouted in disbelief as the rain grew heavier. She leaned over to latch onto him when a massive gust of wind kicked up.

"Yup, the Song of Storms!" he grinned widely at her as a complete downpour began. Within a minute they were completely soaked all the way through to their panties.

Zelda laughed with happiness and joy; the crops would be watered a plenty today. The sound of her harmonious giggles rang in his ears playfully. She spun around as she enjoyed the first rain of the hot season to come.

"Link, this is amazing!" she shouted in ecstasy as the rain cascaded from the heavens and into the thirsty soil and fauna.

She grabbed him by the hand and ran with him through the field. He scooped up his sword and shield just in time as she took him parading through the flowers. He joined her sounds of delight and pleasure as they reached the castle. She stopped to catch her breath under the veranda and he took the opportunity to put his sword and shield on his back again. Once she caught her breath she grabbed him by the hand again and she lead him through the castle sidewalk and out through the front of the main gates.

He allowed her to drag him into town; to **town**!

She took him up to a stone podium that was normally reserved for when the King made public speeches. She herself had made quite a few speeches from there as well. It was normally reserved for when Hyrule was going to war, or when a new Prince or Princess was born. Today though, Zelda was going to use it to flaunt Link to the town's people.

"Attention loyal subjects of Hyrule!" she shouted as regally as a monarch should.

Not many people were willing to stay out in the rain, but it was the first rainfall in months, many were rejoicing. Those who remained outside dancing in joy turned to face Zelda, their Princess.

"Today we have a miracle!" she threw her arms up in the air and many people followed her motions with cheers. "Our Hero has given us rain!" she added in delight and jumped up and down in a circle.

Link blushed and shied away, but she grabbed him by the hands and danced around with him by the podium. The crowds joined them and soon a riot of celebration broke out. The bars opened their doors and gave out free ale and biscuits. The bakeries handed out free loaves of bread and cookies. The town went into a joyous party in celebration of the rain. People patted Link on the back, although they didn't quite understand how it was his fault that it was raining. They just chose to believe their Princess's word on the matter.

After an hour of the town's partying Zelda took Link back to the castle. Both were drenched and the downpour continued. Link agreed to let it rain for a few more hours, but not too much longer as to cause floods. As Zelda went to dry off and change clothes, Link was shown to a guest room where his clothes would be hung dried inside and he'd be given a temporary change of clothes.

Link alerted a guard to inform the King and the Princess that he was exhausted and wished for a nap. He then dozed off while his clothes dried and the rain settled into a dreamy and gentle flow. He'd turn the rain off with the Song of the Sun when he woke up.

* * *

_**BLK: I know there are many inconsistencies with the canon games and this story, just accept it and move along. In Skyward Sword Link was a teenager throughout the game and he saved Zelda as a teen. In this story he was a little boy as was she.**_


End file.
